Winging her way towards Christmas

THE runners at Grafton parkrun were encouraged to come dressed in their best Christmas outfit, but it seeme regular participant Leah Stevenson took flight with the idea.

She ran the entire 5km course with a massive set of angel wings strapped to her back.

"I kept telling people they were faulty because I was at the wrong end of the parkrun pack for an angel with wings,” she said.

Ms Stephenson runs bridal and dress shop Lasting Impressions, and has been wearing the wings outside her shop of a nighttime as part of her Christmas lights display when one of her parkrun friends who had visited her three or four times suggested she wear it.

"And I thought 'why not?' - I already look crazy,” she said.

"The wings are made from fabric and cardboard, so they aren't as heavy as they look, but they do make for a very hot and awkward five kilometre walk.”

Ms Stephenson said she had seen many businesses have people dressed as Santa, so she decided to do something a little more in line with her main business of wedding dresses and more closely related to the reason we celebrate Christmas.

"I've been handing out gingerbread stars to anyone that stops by,” she said. "It's been a lot of fun with lots of pedestrians stopping for a chat and a photo and even a few cars pulling over each night for a photo.

"Some people every come around the block and beep their horn and I call out 'Merry Christmas'. I've been selling some tinsel and light headpieces and Santa decorations with the money going to charity.”

Ms Stevenson hanged up her wings this year on Sunday night, and said she had friends and a work experience student who had helped her put the display together.